Saturday, September 29, 2012

Is cooking becoming a boring chore? Cooking is a task that should be enjoyable, and not one that you dread. This article is packed with helpful tips and advice for improving your skills in the kitchen. When you see how easy cooking can be, you are sure to wonder why you found it so difficult to begin with!

If your family has grown bored with plain frozen corn, try something new. Try experimenting with your favorite spices, or do some research online to find fun new ways to prepare veggies. Add coconut flakes to corn for a Thai-inspired treat.

It is important to cook your meat properly, so always have a meat thermometer on hand. Each meat has minimum internal temperatures that are recommended so that it is safe to eat. All types of bacteria live on meat. Therefore, if the bacteria is not properly cooked, it can stay on the meat, and cause you to get sick.

You can make a nice wok full of stir fried rice and bits and pieces of veggies and whatnot from your fridge. Using rice that has cooled for a full day is best. If you do not have any rice already cooked and cooled, you can make it fresh and just cut back on the amount of water you add to the pot. First, use a small amount of oil to fry the meat and vegetables. Next, add the rice to the mixture and use soy sauce, ginger and garlic according to your taste preferences.

If you need to cook a roast quickly, do not remove the bone. This will speed up cooking time substantially. The bone absorbs some of the heat and distributes it inside the meat and roaster. After the roast is cooked, just slice around the bone to serve.

This way, you'll have fresh fruit to use for cooking all year long. Additionally, you may be able to keep some fruits frozen and enjoy them during months when they are not available in stores.

Keep your wood cutting board in tip-top shape. A wood cutting board can warp or split by too much exposure to moisture, heat or dryness. Don't submerge the board in the sink when you clean it. Instead, use warm, soapy water and a sponge. Restore damaged boards by applying oil to it regularly, and be sure to use products specially designed for wood chopping boards. Always allow your board to dry completely, whether it is wet or oiled.

Get the right kind of potatoes for the recipe you select. These vegetables are defined in three ways, either mealy, waxy or all-purpose, so choose accordingly. Mealy potatoes are usually dry and crumbly, which makes them ideal for mashing. The russet potato is one of the most common of the mealy variety. An all-purpose potato that you can use in almost any dish is the Yukon Gold. Use waxy potatoes for steaming or boiling since they hold their shape well. Red and white potatoes are familiar varieties of the waxy type.

Cooking for the family can be beyond overwhelming. Luckily, you can do a number of things to make cooking simpler. When you go back into your kitchen, you can relax.